Moving stairway



' Jun 19, 1934. D. L. LINDQUIST ET AL MOVING STAIRWAY Original FiledFeb. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a l. 3 i 5 D [m /z INVENTORS Jilne 1934.D. L. LINDQUIST ET AL 1,963,413

MOVING STAIRWAY J Original Filed Feb. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vIllllllllllllill :BMLMXL ATTOIZN EY Patented June 19, 1934 PATE NTOFFICE MOVING STAIRWAY David Leonard Lindquist, Hartsdale, Arthur EdwardHandy, Lynbrook, and Samuel Gustave Margles, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignorsto Otis Elevator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New JerseyOriginal application February 10, 1933, Serial No. 656,086. Divided andthis application July 14, 1933, Serial No. 680,352

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-16) This invention relates to moving stairways.

It is the object of this invention to provide a moving stairway which isparticularly adapted for heavy duty and/or high rise installations, suchas are encountered in railroad, subway and elevated stations.

' Among the features of the moving stairway in accordance with thisinvention are the follow- Each handrail is maintained taut by means of atensioning weight securedthrough the intermediary of a suitable flexiblecable to the handrail tightener wheel. Slack is prevented fromdeveloping in the handrail by providing a locking device for thehandrail tightener wheel which prevents movement of such wheel in thedirection that would permit handrail slack, but which enables thetensioning weight to move the handrail tightener wheel in the otherdirection for maintaining the handrail taut.

Each handrail tightener wheel is driven at a suitable speed along withthe other wheel or wheels by which the handrail is normally driven, soas to provide additional driving means for the handrail. Such aconstruction is advantageous in installations where the amount ofhandrail to be driven is large, as may occur in high rise installations,or where the friction between the handrail and its guide ,is abovenormal value.

Each handrail is provided with a handrail safety switch arranged to beactuated to stop the stairway when-further slack in the handrail cannotbe taken up by the handrail tightener wheel or other devices. This is aprotective measure found desirable in certain installations in order toinsure that the automatic means for taking up handrail slack andmaintaining the handrail taut is always effective while the stairway isin operation.

This application is a division of patent application Serial No. 656,086,filed February 10, 1933.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from thespecification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:--

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a moving stairway accordingto this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the handrail tightener anddriving wheel and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the automatic lock of thehandrail tightener and driving wheel.

Referring to Figure 1, the moving stairway, generally designated 160,extends between a lower landing 161 and an upperlanding :162. vThemoving stairway comprises an endless series of steps 163 driven by amotor 126, preferably located at or near the upper landing asillustrated. Motor 126, which preferably has associated therewith-onmotor shaft 113a spring applied brake 106 releasable upon energizationof brake coil 100, operates through reduction gearing 164, driving chain165 and sprocket wheel 166 to drive the main drive shaft 96 of themoving stairway. Main drive shaft 96 has secured thereto at either sideof the stairway a sprocket wheel which engages the running gear chain atthe corresponding side of the stairway to drive the same. One suchsprocket wheel, 168, is illustrated in Figure 1 engaging a runninggearchain 185. j

The moving stairway has two endless moving handrails, one at each sidethereof, operating at substantially the same speed as the steps. Onesuch handrail, 170, is illustrated in Figure l, and is diagrammaticallyillustrated as driven from main drive shaft 96. This is effected bymeans of a sprocket wheel 171 on main drive shaft 96 driving a sprocketwheel 172 on a countershaft 173 through the intermediary of a chain 174.Countershaft 173, by means of a sprocket wheel 175 and chain 176, drivessprocket wheels secured to the handrail newel wheel 177, the handrailtightener wheel 178,,and a handrail reversing wheel 180. A governor 181is also driven from drive shaft 96, this being efiected through theintermediary of a chain and sprocket drive from countershaft 173.

Also mounted onmain drive shaft 96, outside of each sprocket wheelengaging the running gear chain, is a drum of a stairway brake. I Onesuchbrake, generally designated 94, is illustrated in Figure 1. Itcomprises two pivoted brake arms 182 and 183 which are normally urged,under the action of suitable springs 184, to cause the brake shoesmounted on the brake arms 182 and 183 to engage the brake drum. Thebrake 94 is released upon energization of brake magnet 91. The brake atthe other side of the stairway is similar in construction.

At the lower landing 161 the running gear chains engage and pass aroundsprocket wheels which are mounted upon a longitudinally movable carriage186. One such sprocket wheel, 187, for running gear chain 185, isillustrated in Figure 1. Suitable means are provided for urging carriage186 in the direction to maintain tension in the running gear chains.Such means, for example, may be a tensioning weight 188 connected tocarriage 186 by a cable 190, as illustrated in Figure 1.

A carriage safety switch 35 is provided and arranged so that abnormaldisplacement of carriage 186 in either direction from its normalposition effects the separation of the contacts of such carriage safetyswitch to thereby stpp the stairway.

At the lower landing there is also provided a newel wheel at each sideof the stairway around which the handrails pass. Newel wheel 191, forhandrail 170, is illustrated in Figure 1.

Each handrail, as has been mentioned, is provided with a tightener wheelwhich is driven by main drive shaft 96 along with the newel wheel at theupper landing. Such a construction, by which the handrail is driven bymeans additional to the usual drive of the handrail through theintermediary of the newel wheel at the upper landing, is of advantage incertain installations where the amount of handrail to be driven'islarge, or the friction between the handrail and its guides is abovenormal value. Details of the construction by which such driving of thetightener wheel may be effected are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Tightener wheel 178,for handrail 170, is rotatably supported by. meansof a stub shaft 257 mounted upon a carriage 258. Carriage 258 isarranged for longitudinal motion along guide rods 260 which arepositioned so that the plane of tightener wheel 178 is at an angle tothe plane of motion of carriage 258. Also rotatably mounted on carriage258 is a shaft 261, to which sprocket wheel 262 and a gear 263 aresecured. Gear 263 meshes with a gear 264 secured to tightener wheel 178,as illustrated in Figure 3. In this fashion, chain 176, engagingsprocket wheel 262, drives tightener wheel 178 throughout the range ofmotion of the carriage 258 on which tightener wheel 178 is mounted. Anidler tightening sprocket wheel 265 may be provided for chain 176, ifdesired.

Carriage 258 is urged in a direction tending to keep the handrail tautby means of a weight 266 connected to carriage 258 through theintermediary of a cable 267 and a rod 268.

Preferably a locking device, such as the device generally designated 270in Figures 1, 2 and 4, is employed in conjunction with cable 267 orrod-268 to prevent upward movement of weight 266 while permittingfree'downward movement thereof. In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, looking device 270 comprises a roller 271 operating in alongitudinal slot 272 along the top of rod 268, and arranged to bewedged between slot 272 and an inclined surface 273 formed in a sleeve274. Sleeve 2% surrounds rod 268 and in turn is surrounded by astationary member 275. A suitable spring 276 is provided to actlongitudinally along .rod 268 between sleeve 274 and stationary member275 so as to provide a spring cushion between sleeve 274 and stationarymember 275 when roller 271 becomes wedged between inclined surface 273and slot 272. A suitable retaining collar 277 prevents sleeve 274 fromdisengaging from stationary member 275, and a suitable disc 278 with aspring backed pin 280 engaging roller 271 prevents roller 271 fromfalling out ofslot 272 and maintains goiller 271 in engagement withinclined surface The position of rod 268 with respect to locking device270,as illustrated in Figure 2, is that when tightener wheel 178 is .inthe position where the greatest amount of take-up of the handrail by thetightener wheel is possible. The position of rod.268 with respect tolocking device 270 as illustrated in Figure 4, is that when tightenerwheel 178 is in the position where'no further take-up of the handrail bythe tightener wheel is possible. Between these two positions oftightener wheel 178, locking device 170 does not act to preventtheaction' of weight 266 in urging tightener wheel 178 so as toautomatically maintain the handrail taut. In other words, locking device270 does not prevent downward motion of weight 266, and thus doesnotprevent the auto matic taking up of slack in the handrail. Lockingdevice 270 does, however, prevent motion of the tightener wheel in thedirection whichwould tend to create slack in the handrail. This iseffected by the action of roller 271 becoming wedged between slot 272and inclined surface 273 as soon as rod 268 is imparted with a motion ina right hand direction, as viewed in Figures 1, 2 and 4. Locking device270 thus serves to prevent slack in the handrail from developing. Suchslack might be developed, for example, when the normal motion of thehandrail is prevented or retarded at a point removed from the handraildrive, while the handrail continues to be driven by the handrail drive(i. e., point is not yet reached at newel wheel 177, wheel 180 andtightener wheel 178) Thus the handrail drive tends to cause tightenerwheel 1-78 to move so that slack results in the handrail. Such slack isobjectionable for many reasons, of which one is that the handrail slackmay become entangled with other parts of the moving stairway, andanother is that when the means obstructing the normal motion of thehandrail is removed after slack has been developed (and weight 266 hasbeen raised), the falling back of weight 266 while the slippage to itsinitial position, in taking up the handrail slack, may cause thehandrail to break.

Rod 268 may be threaded as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, and providedwith a hand wheel 281 secured thereon so as to maintain tightener wheel178 in position temporarily, when hand wheel 281 is secured against disc278, while repairs are being made to weight 266 or cable 267.

The carriage 258 upon which tightener wheel 173 is mounted, is providedwith a member 282 for actuating a trigger 283 of a handrail safetyswitch 40 when the carriage is in the position in which the tightenerwheel can no longer take up slack in the handrail. The contacts ofhandrail safety switch 40 are suitably arranged in the control systemfor the moving stairway so that, when the trigger 283 of the switch isactuated to effect the separation of the contacts of handrail safetyswitch 40, the stairway is brought to a stop.

Handrail safety switch 40 may be employed, if desired, in movingstairways ;where tightener wheel 178 is not driven as illustrated inFigures 1, 2 and 3, or is not provided with a locking device 270.

The construction of the handrail tightener wheel and associated partsfor the handrail at the other side-of the stairway may be similar tothat described for handrail 170.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above constructions andmany apparently widely different embodiments of this invention couldbe-made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a moving stairway in whichthere is a handrail. with a looptherein, a movable tightener wheel operating in the bight of suchhandrail loop, means for guiding the motion of said tightener wheel sothat its motion increases or decreases the length of such handrail loop,and means for driving the steps of the stairway and said handrailconjointly; means continuously urging said tightener wheel in thedirection that increases the length of such handrail loop, therebyautomatically and continuously taking up handrail slack and maintainingthe handrail. taut; and switching mechanism controlled by the motion ofthe tightener wheel in the direction that increases the length of suchhandrail loop, and actuated when the tightener wheel nears the limit ofits motion in such direction for rendering said driving means for saidsteps and handrail ineffective and for causing the stairway to stop.

2. In a moving stairway in which there is a handrail, a newel wheel atone end of the stairway around which the handrail passes, a loop in thehandrail, a reversing wheel and a tightener wheel operating in thebights of such handrail loop, and means for moving said tightener wheelso that the length of such handrail loop may be increased or decreasedto control the slack in said handrail; means for driving said handrailconjointly with the steps of said stairway, said means including meansfor driving said newel wheel, said reversing wheel and said tightenerwheel so that the handrail is driven by the peripheries of all three ofsaid wheels.

3. In a moving stairway in which there is a handrail, a newel wheel atone end of the stairway around which the handrail passes, a loop in thehandrail, a movable tightener wheel operating in the bight of suchhandrail loop, and means for guiding the motion of said tightener wheelso that its motion increases or decreases the length of such handrailloop; means continuously urging said tightener wheel in the directionthat increases the length of such handrail loop, thereby automaticallyand continuously taking up handrail slack and maintaining the handrailtaut; means for driving said handrail conjointly with the steps of saidstairway, said means including means for driving said newel wheel andsaid tightener wheel so that the handrail is driven by the peripheriesof both of said wheels; and

switching mechanism controlled by the motion of the tightener wheel inthe direction that increases the length of such handrail loop,'andabtuated when the tightener wheel nears the limit of its motion in suchdirection for rendering said driving means for said steps and handrailineffective and for causing the stairway to stop.

4. In a moving stairway having a handrail;' a rotatable newel wheel atone end of the stairway around which said handrail passes; a rotat- 8able tightener wheel near said end of the stal'rway around which saidhandrail passes after leaving the underside of said newel wheel, saidhandrail, when leaving said tightener wheel at the top thereof,returning toward said end or 9' the stairway, the axis of said tightener'wheel being at an angle to the axis of said newel wheel so that saidhandrail leaves said tightener wheel in a plane different from the planeof said newel wheel; means, including a movable carriage, mounting saidtightener wheel for motion toward and away from said newel wheel tomaintain said handrail taut; a rotatable handrail reversing wheel,nearer said end of the stairway than said tightener wheel, around whichsaid handrail 10!] passes after leaving said tightener wheel, saidhandrail leaving said reversing wheel at the underside thereof and inthe direction of the other end of the stairway, the axis of saidreversing wheel being parallel to the axis of said newel wheel and saidreversing wheel being in a plane parallel to," but displaced from, theplane ofsaidznewel wheel; a newel wheel driving sprocket rotatablymounted coaxially with said newel wheel and secured thereto; a reversingwheel driving s'procke't rotatably mounted coaxially wtih said reversingwheel and secured thereto; a tightener wheel driving sprocket rotatablymounted on saidmovable carriage with its axis parallel to the axes. ofsaid newel wheel driving sprocket and said reversingI wheel drivingsprocket; means driving saidthree driving sprockets in unison, and inaccordance with the motion of the steps of the stairwayfand bevelgearing between said tightener wheel driv ing sprocket and saidtightener wheelfor transmitting the rotation of said tightener wheeldriving sprocket to said tightener wheel.

DAVID LEONARD LINDQUIS'I'.

ARTHUR EDWARD HANDY. SAMUEL GUSTAVEMARGIJES.

